Maine-Anjou Registration

[red]

from the heifers I've seen, they are very clean fronted. Remeber the pictures of him are of a mature bull. I really don't think to many mature bulls that are running w/ cows are very good looking.
I think he will clean-up the front on my one heifer very nicely & also downsize my red cow.

Red

 

[cowz]

I purchased a cleanup bull out of DVMM Jazz and a Magic cow from Core Farms.  I now have 3 years of calves out of him and like them very much.  Sometimes these calves have truly passed up the AI calves!  They are easy calvers,super sound and have great dispositions.  We sold 1 heifer in a heifer futurity and she won her division!  People who have seen this herd bull comment on how good he looks at his age.  He is still very sound.  I will cry when he goes on the truck. 

The majors line would be a great out cross.  Just get ahold of some sale catalogs, magazines and start learning the blood lines.

 

[DL]

I take a different approach with heifers than I do with cows when considering breeding to a purebred Maine bull - I like to see what a bull will do with my cows before I use him on heifers. I have 5 cows confirmed PG to Money Man (out of 5!) and am excited to see what he does. If I like the size and spunk of the calves I'll consider him on heifers.  I had a 140 pound plus bull calf out of a cow with a "calving ease Maine bull" with EPDs and accuracys to back up his "calving ease". (sure bet I never used him again on heifers). Someone is always on either end of the bell shaped curve - and I think we also need to consider where you are and how you feed. Our MI calves are consistently heavier than those in Nebraska.....And of course the cow contributes to the birth weight as well. There are lots of well documented calving ease Angus bulls (both red and black) that work great on many Maine heifers - I am willing to give up some growth and show ring appeal for a live calf and a live heifer. This year I have used the Red Angus bull Leachman Heavenly 8141, the Witch Doctor son WD40, and the immortal Midas. jill and SHow Heifer may have some good ideas too....good luck

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

DL - It always blows my mind when people talk about 140# calves. I guess I'm spoilied, a monster for us would be anything 100#s or bigger. I think of a heifer bull throwing calves in the mid 70s to 80.

 

[Jill]

Since you asked for my opinion, here it is, please understand that everyone will not agree with it :-*. 
We do not under any circumstance breed to an Angus bull to get calving ease, I know that is the response you will normally get, for our farm it makes no sense whatsoever to waste a calf to get a live one, there are too many other options for my taste.  For a purebred calf we like Money Man and Hard Core, some of the older choices would be Witch Doctor or Bouncer.  Jakes Proud Jazz would give you a double registered calf (heifer), some like Who Made Who althought we never had much luck with him.
My husband hates breeding heifers, his arm goes numb and it is a big whinefest, so we bought a Hard Core/Angus bull and that is what all of our heifers but 2 this year are bred to.
I am going to play devils advocate here on Money Man.  I'm not knocking the bull or Major's I think the world of them and we used him on the 2 heifers we are showing this year, just throwing this out as food for thought.  I am from Kansas, I am also from Johnson County, we have shown against most if not all of the high dollar heifers from Hartman's you refered to.  Money Man is an 8 year old bull, where are all of the great progeny out of him other than the few sold at Hartman's and where are the progeny from the high dollar heifers?  Something to think about.
On the Midas note, I would love to breed to him, I'm pretty sure he is out of my price range.

 

[DL]

DL - It always blows my mind when people talk about 140# calves. I guess I'm spoilied, a monster for us would be anything 100#s or bigger. I think of a heifer bull throwing calves in the mid 70s to 80.

Yeah, I like them to be born weighing less than me! This one was big and not too bright - but he ended up being a nice boy for a new kid.  And the cow was AOK - (and still is, was 9 years ago) - I really like the 70 pounders!

Jill - I love my Midas babies - I got a "bunch" of semen a while ago - not sure I could afford it now. Hoping for females from my Midas x Sunflower and my Midas embryo (always hoping for heifers ;D)

Re Angus - I have friends with MA of my breeding who have done real well with Angus on heifers - I used Northern Improvement last year on a heifer (when we didn't really know who was a PHA carrier) - nice calf - born unassisted vigorous, but he has an Angus approach to life - will have to re think this approach! ;D

Re Money Man - yeah I have to agree with you - there may not be more great ones because he has only recently been promoted by Hartman - could be they don't exist - time will tell - I haven't seen any great bulls out of him - time will tell.....

 

[red]

Justme has used 2 Money Man sons. I know she had some calves out of the first one this year.
Never had any luck w/ WD-40.
I think whenever you use a easy calving bull you need to remeber he is only part of the equation. The cow, environment & feedstuffs all play a huge part in it. I can breed my red cow to any easy calver & still come up w/ a 100 pound calf.

Red

 

[justme]

I bet there are more money man calves out there than we think.  How many of those HeatWaves are truley Heat waves?  Not to say there is any crooked sellers out there but....  We bought a heifer that was suppose to be a Digger, and guess what she's from there heard bull!

I think we don't see more Major's cattle out there, because Bob and Colleen really haven't been out there like they use too.  Plus (and trust me) they are way out there in Nebraska.

 

[showcattlegal]

that's why i didn't use them this year, i couldn't find anybody that used him to talk to about the calves. i talked to them and just seem like they were selling him a lil to much for me.

 

[DL]

that's why i didn't use them this year, i couldn't find anybody that used him to talk to about the calves. i talked to them and just seem like they were selling him a lil to much for me.

I have been intrigued with Money Man for years - for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with Majors (I think they are a class act and good people) or the bull himself - I didn't use him before - it is my understanding that after Mike Hartman found a couple of pretty fancy heifers sired by him and put them in his sale that interest increased. I have talked to Colleen via email and she was very straightforward and sent me all her breeding records. I felt comfortable enough to use him on cows  to see what he does with my herd - every operation is different and what works in Nebraska might not work in other places. SCG - I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[Show Heifer]

I don't play russian roulette with my heifers. Love my cattle too much. And I panic easily when I see feet coming out that seem WAY TO BIG  but always seem to slide out!!!!

But, have used "tried and true" calving ease sires of several breeds and have had huge calves.  But I do the best I can to use the most proven bull I can find.

My cows on the other hand, I will risk a bit, but still, its take a bunch of trustworthy stories to get me to try a bull. (Heck, I tried Jakes Proud Jazz this year!)
And with my travels, I simply ask and listen, and sometimes, I read between the lines.

 

[showcattlegal]

Thanks DL.

 

[TottenClubCalves]

thats really unusual about them, I got my papers back from them within a week and a half